JOYCE — Citizens For Crescent Kids Levy Committee will hold a public question and comment meeting to discuss the upcoming levy election, at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Joyce Cafe, 50530 state Highway 112.
The levy, which will appear on Feb. 19 election ballots, asks voters to consider a proposed replacement levy of $1.352 per $1,000 assessed valuation in 2009 and 2010, and $1.40 per $1,000 assessed valuation in 2011 and 2012.
Under the levy, the owner of a $100,000 home would pay $135.20 in taxes in 2009 and 2010.
The same owner would pay $140 in taxes to the district in 2011 and 2012.
The taxes are not additional taxes, but a replacement of the levy which expires at the end of 2008.
The levy would replace the current levy of $1.75 per $1,000 in assessed valuation.
“We are actually asking less for this levy,” said Karen Farris, the levy chairwoman.
The four-year levy would support Crescent School District operations.
School levies previously were passed by a 60 percent supermajority, but voters approved a measure in November allowing school levies to pass by a simple majority.
This is one of the first school levies on the North Olympic Peninsula which will be subject to the new lighter requirements allowing it to pass by the 50-percent simple majoirty.
The state legislature contributes 70 percent of the funding needed for the district, 17 percent comes from federal funds and the remaining 13 percent of the budget is funded by the levy.
“We feel that this is an investment of the future for the students at Crescent School District,” Farris said.
“We expect more of kids academically these days, and we want to support them with good facilities and programs, because they deserve that.
The past four-year levy which this one will replace, funded the beginnings of full-day kindergarten, physical education classes, an academic counselor for the middle school and high school and maintenance on the building, among other things Farris said.
“The role the academic counselor has, for example, is that he keeps them focused on what they see themselves doing after they graduate high school,” Farris said.
“He gets started with helping the middle school kids and keeps track of them all the way through high school.”
Crescent School has about 185 students.
“I think it is also significant that we are not in debt,” Farris said.
“We have not built any new buildings — to us it is good stewardship.
“We have not been trying to ask for money to build a whole new buildings, but we work on the buildings we already have.
“The buildings get put on a maintenance schedule — which the levy helps support.”
One example of the maintenance schedule is the gymnasium floor and roof.
“The gym floor needs replaced about every 25 years, and the time is coming up,” Farris said.
“It will be put on the maintenance schedule sometime in the next couple of years.”
One important thing to remember is where the issue will appear, Superintendent Tom Anderson said.
If a voter is casting a ballot in one of the primaries, the issue will appear on the backside of the ballot, he said.
However, those who do not wish to vote in a primary, but want to vote on an issue do not need to declare a party when voting, Farris said.
